


Rejected Heroes Club

by caterinawrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Adrinette Zine, Aspik - Freeform, Fluff, Gen, Multimouse, adrienette - Freeform, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27418207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterinawrites/pseuds/caterinawrites
Summary: After being exposed by Miracle Queen, Marinette's allies are feeling down about losing their super powers. To ward off suspicion, Marinette and Adrien reveal their temporary identities as Multimouse and Aspik, and together they all form the Rejected Heroes Club. With her identity safe, Marinette relaxes until Alya pairs her with the boy of her dreams -- Adrien.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 55
Kudos: 419





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This summer I was invited to participate in the Adrinette Zine, and while the zine was a little rocky at times, it is finally out! Please support all of the creators who participated because they all worked super hard.   
> This story idea is one I had for a little while that I debated doing for Adrinette April, but I didn't get around to it. It's silly and cute, so I hope you all enjoy it! You can read the whole zine on tumblr, but I will update this every other day until all 4 chapters have been posted so it's not so much at once. So I will post the next chapter on Sunday then Tuesday then Thursday of next week. See you all soon!

Chapter 1

“Marinette, are you a superhero?” 

Alya’s question hit her like a brick wall the moment she entered the classroom, and Marinette would know - she’d run into several brick walls in her life. 

“Am I a what?” She asked, and her pulse quickened. 

Had she exposed her own identity? Had she messed up again? Would she have to go into hiding or pass the Miracle Box onto Chat Noir and lose all of her memories and move to China to live her days working in a rice pasture and never see her friends ever again and unknowingly live out the rest of her life as a colossal failure and the worst Ladybug in the history of Ladybugs?

“I’m kidding,” Alya chuckled then gestured over her shoulder to where Nino, Kim, and Max stood. “We’ve all been talking, and now that our identities are exposed because of little miss Miracle Queen, we’re realizing that Ladybug picked several people from our class to be heroes. I know you could never tell even if you did, but we’re just wondering who else in the class could have a secret identity since we’re all kinda bummed about being outed.”

“Oh,” Marinette said, relaxing her shoulders. 

“It’s kind of crazy that Ladybug picked so many of us,” Nino said, leaning back in his seat. 

“Well, if you consider the number of times that Ladybug and Chat Noir have interacted with our class or saved us from being akumatized, it isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. She and Chat Noir have become quite familiar with all of us,” Max said matter-of-factly.

“What do you think it means?” Alya said, that impish reporter’s grin Marinette knew all too well curling on her lips. “I have a couple theories that Ladybug is actually a student at our school, constantly on the lookout for potential allies, and it would make sense since she chose all of us. Maybe she’s even in our class.”

Marinette’s stomach jumped up to her throat.

“Whoa, wouldn’t it be awesome if Ladybug were walking among us? Maybe she’s even listening to us right now,” Kim said, glancing around as if he expected Ladybug to be hiding in any crevice, which, given the present conversation, Marinette wouldn’t have minded. 

“What are we talking about?” Marinette jumped at Adrien’s voice over her shoulder, her heart fluttering when she turned to him. 

“Just about how weird it is that Ladybug picked so many of us from the same class to be heroes,” Nino replied.

“I think it’s a little suspicious,” Alya said. 

“What if Ladybug _and_ Chat Noir were our classmates? Wouldn’t that be so awesome?” Kim said, and Marinette chewed her cheek. 

Now, more than ever, it was important that she protect her identity. She’d seen firsthand the dangers that came with people knowing who she really was, and she needed to kick dirt over her trail before these speculations got out of control.

“Yes,” she said, and everyone turned to her. “I was a hero, too.”

“Wait, for real?” Alya’s eyes narrowed. 

“Uh, yeah, but I was only ever allowed on one mission. Back when Mme. Mendeleiev was akumatized after she went on that show, remember?” Marinette said. 

“Alternative Truth! Where everything isn’t always true, but nothing is really false!” Kim exclaimed, crossing his arms into an x.

“Right, that one,” Marinette said. “I became Multimouse. Unfortunately, I’m so clumsy and scatterbrained that I gave Ladybug my Miraculous back in front of Chat Noir, so she told me I could never be a hero again.”

“If you were a hero, why didn’t Miracle Queen’s wasps summon you?” Alya asked, and Marinette shrank under her gaze. 

“Uhh, because Chloe doesn’t like me?” She shrugged, and after a moment of contemplation, Alya conceded. 

“Fair enough,” she said, and Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. “But that does make five students from our class who have been picked.”

“Uh, make that six. I was also a temporary hero once,” Adrien said, and Marinette smiled up at him, remembering the day fondly. She only wished things had worked out, but it was probably for the best that they didn’t. If Adrien were on missions with her, she’d definitely be too distracted. 

“What? Dude, no way!” Nino said, extending a fist to bump.

“Yeah, I was Aspik—the first person to wield the Snake Miraculous—but things didn’t exactly work out, so I let Ladybug pass it on to Luka. I probably didn’t get summoned by Miracle Queen because Luka took over my job,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Okay, this definitely adds a lot of evidence to my case,” Alya said, that determined glint whenever she found a new scoop to chase in her eye, but just as quickly as it came, it dimmed. “It’s kind of a major bummer that we all got exposed though. Now that Hawkmoth knows our identities, we’ll never get to be heroes again.”

“Yeah...”

Her friends deflated, and Marinette curled her shoulders. She hated seeing them all look so defeated. Everything really had been flipped on its head. She’d lost her mentor, her allies, and on top of that, she had way more responsibility now as guardian. It was true that this group couldn’t get their Miraculouses back, but that didn’t mean they had to stop being heroes. 

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Marinette said. “Since none of us can be superheroes anymore, what if we start a club for doing good deeds as civilians? We can play the role of our superhero alter egos, but instead of fighting villains, we can volunteer at the library or pick up trash. Kind of like…a rejected heroes club.”

“Great idea, Marinette,” Adrien said, and her cheeks warmed.

“You could make us all costumes just like the ones we had when we were heroes,” Nino said.

“Yes! I wanna see how high I can jump as Roi Singe,” Kim said, stretching his legs.

“Kim, you won’t have actual superpowers. It will just be a costume,” Max said with an eye roll. 

“We can all even pair off into teams like Ladybug and Chat Noir. Each team can be responsible for different areas of town,” Alya said, casting a sly grin in Marinette’s direction. “Nino and I can be a team, obviously, and I’m pretty sure Kim is going to need Max to keep him under control, so that leaves you two one-hit wonders to be a team.”

Marinette’s spine stiffened as Adrien turned to her. Of course Alya would pair her with Adrien! She was only the most amazing best friend in the whole world. Marinette wasn’t sure if she loved her or hated her—she was too busy trying not to faint. 

“Awesome! I love teaming up with Marinette,” Adrien said, nudging her with his elbow. 

“Great! Then it’s settled. The Rejected Heroes Club starts today,” Alya said, and Marinette took a deep breath. 

What had she just gotten herself into?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! If you can't wait for the next chapter, check out @adrienettezine on tumblr for the entire zine where you can read this entire piece right now as well as several other amazing works by authors in the fandom you probably already know and love. ;) I'll have the next chapter up Wednesday.

Chapter 2

A breath passed Marinette’s lips as the last picture from her wall landed in a bright pink box. She trailed her fingers along the rim, staring down at the pile of photos smiling back at her. Adrien was coming over to be measured for his hero costume, and even though he knew she kept them up, something about having him around all of them made her nervous. 

She closed the lid on the box and moved it to the chest beside her chaise-lounge, stacking it neatly atop several others just like it, and found herself reaching for the Miracle Box. It felt different. Foreign. Wrong. Wayzz and Tikki assured her that Master Fu had always intended to make her the next guardian, but she never imagined the price that came with it. 

“Marinette! You have a visitor,” her mom called up the stairs, and Marinette tucked the box back into its hiding place and shut the lid. 

Her allies might have been taken from her, but she could still be a guardian to them through this club. She could still give them hope. After everything that happened, she was in need of some herself.

Grabbing her sketchbook and a tape measure, she braced herself as the wooden stairs creaked until blond hair popped through her trapdoor. His face lit up when he saw her, and she willed her heart into slowing its pace to no avail. 

“Doesn’t your dad have your measurements already? Couldn’t you have just sent them to me?” She asked, and Adrien averted his gaze with a smirk.

“Well, yeah, but this gives me an excuse to get out of the house for a bit,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Besides, I wanted to hang with my new partner for a while.”

She didn’t even try to stop the butterflies in her stomach that time. Why did he have to be so perfect? 

“I guess I can show you what I designed for you,” she said. “I’ve never seen your costume before, so I drew up a few designs. If you don’t like any of them, we could try to work up one that’s close to what your actual costume looked like.”

Adrien looked over her shoulder, standing closer than necessary as she flipped through the pages. His arm brushed hers as he moved to get a better look, green eyes devouring every pencil stroke. Marinette did her best to keep her breaths even, resisting the urge to reach out and trail her fingers through his silky hair.

“These look awesome! They’re way cooler than what I had. Now I kinda feel lame,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“No, no! I’m sure your costume was cute. I mean- I’m sure it was fine,” she said, and he trained those gorgeous eyes on her.

“Thanks,” he said. He sat on her chaise, his countenance deflating. “My costume was probably the only good thing about my time as a hero. I wasn’t exactly successful, so Ladybug ended up picking Luka instead. I feel like I really let her down.”

“I’m sure Ladybug appreciated your help. She wouldn’t have picked you if she didn’t believe in you.” Marinette sat beside him. 

“I guess. I feel like such a failure,” he sighed. “I don’t even deserve to be in this club.”

“No, no!” She waved her hands frantically. “I-I think you do. Maybe this can be your second chance to show the world that you can be a hero too.”

His face softened at that, “Thanks, Marinette. I guess I just really want to do a good job.”

“That already makes you a hero, Adrien.” She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Having superpowers and a mask aren’t what makes someone a hero. Doing the right thing and trying your hardest to help are, and I’m sure Ladybug understands that.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said, shifting his gaze to his feet. “I know you’d probably rather have Luka as your partner, but I hope you’ll settle for me.”

“No! I’m happy that you and I were paired up. Now we can spend more time together,” Marinette said then quickly added, “-helping others! I mean. We can spend time together helping others.”

“Thanks, Marinette,” he said, pulling her in for a hug. “I’m glad we’re friends, and I think Alya was right to pair us up. I really needed to hear that.”

“No biggie,” Marinette said, cheeks hot. “Now, about those measurements.”

***

“The costumes you made turned out really awesome, Marinette,” Adrien said, examining the detail work on his new suit a few days later as his bodyguard drove them home. “Those kids at the library really thought we were superheroes.”

As cute as Aspik’s original suit was, Marinette wasn’t technically supposed to know what it looked like, and once she started designing new versions, she couldn’t stop. Adrien was just too handsome for words, and her brain was running wild with possibilities. Should she use this time to try to get closer to him? What if he didn’t like her? Why did he look so gorgeous in a green mask?

“I’m glad you like it. I was nervous when I designed them because I’ve never seen your suit, but I think it turned out okay,” she said, trailing her fingers along the stitching in the shoulders as an excuse to touch him. 

“You’re really talented, Marinette, or should I say, Multimouse?” He said with a wink. “By the way, you look really cute with your hair up. You should wear it like that more often.”

“Y-You think?” 

“Of course. I think it’s pretty.”

“Not as pretty as you,” she said with a dreamy sigh before snapping herself back down to earth. “I mean, uh, you’re so handsome- I’m just me, and you’re you, and-”

Adrien chuckled at her blundering, seemingly unbothered by the sentiment. The fact that he’d gotten used to her stammering should have been incredibly embarrassing, but somehow it gave her comfort.

“This club was a really good idea. Having heroes to look up to meant a lot to those kids we read to today,” Adrien said. “And I think it means a lot to Alya and the others too.”

“Well, after their identities were exposed, they all seemed so sad, and I was hoping that they’d realize that just because they’ll never get their Miraculouses back, that doesn’t mean they aren’t still heroes,” Marinette said. 

“You did all this just so your friends wouldn’t be sad?” Adrien asked, tilting his head to the side then shaking it. “You really care about everyone. If any of us deserves to be a hero, it’s you.”

“I-I dunno, I just want to help my friends, that’s all. I’m no Ladybug,” she said, waving it away.

“I think you could be Ladybug,” he said, and Marinette held her breath. “I mean Ladybug is smart and kind and always thinking of others. You two are a lot alike—always trying to solve everyone’s problems. I know I’ve said it before, but you really are our everyday Ladybug.”

Marinette relaxed, a smile curling on her lips. “I just always lookout for my friends and the people important to me, and if I can do anything for them, I try my best,” she said with a shrug. “If I can be a hero for them then…that’s enough for me.”

Adrien’s bodyguard slowed to a stop in front of the bakery, and Marinette reached for the door.

“Today was really fun. I think Aspik and Multimouse make a pretty good team,” she said, holding out her fist. 

“Definitely,” Adrien agreed, touching his fist to hers. 

“See you tomorrow at school,” she said, and Adrien nodded.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is here! Only one more chapter to go. If you want to see what happens next head over to adrienettezine.tumblr.com and check out the whole zine for free! There are lots of other amazing stories and works of art in it, so show all of the creators who participated some love! I'll see you all on Friday with chapter 4 ;)

Chapter 3

“Heads up!”

Adrien turned as Marinette tossed a bottle toward the trash bin he was carrying, backing up a few paces to catch it. A cool breeze blew along the Seine, puffy clouds floating across a blue sky. The perfect weather for picking up trash with a friend.

“I believe that’s 8 points for me now,” Marinette said with a triumphant beam for passing his score. 

“No fair, this was my idea. Now you’re making me look bad,” he chuckled, stooping to pick up an empty soda can. “Go long.” 

Marinette jogged backwards as the can arced overhead, nearly stumbling as she caught it in her bin. Their laughter echoed between the walls of the channel as Adrien threw his arms up.

“And now we’re tied again,” Marinette said, but Adrien placed his hands on his hips.

“What? That shot was worth at least 3 points,” he said with a huff. 

“No way! I’ve made some just as good as that one,” she shot back, squaring her shoulders under his playful glare.

“Ice cream! Get your ice cream!” Andre called from the bridge above them, and Adrien smirked.

“Fine, maybe not three points, but how about two points and some ice cream?” He offered.

“Deal.”

Dumping their bins in nearby trash cans, the two climbed the steps to meet the gathering crowd around Andre’s ice cream stall. Couples took turns receiving their personalized concoctions, tailored to be the perfect blend for their love as Andre was known for, but when Adrien and Marinette made it to the front, he gave them a knowing smile.

“Ah, Marinette and Adrien! Such fun clothes for two good friends, I will have to form blends to match,” he said.

“We’re doing some volunteer work cleaning up trash for a school club,” Marinette explained while he prepared their cones. 

“You two look just like superheroes,” Andre remarked.

“That’s the idea,” Adrien said then, casting Marinette a sly grin, added, “If you ask me, she’s way more heroic than I am.”

“Stop,” Marinette laughed, shoving his shoulder. 

“Well, a pair of superhero partners need super blends. For the heroine I have black sesame with a scoop of strawberry, and for her daring hero, I have green tea and lemon.”

“Thanks, Andre.” They waved before retreating to a bench along the Seine, and Adrien’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Only fifteen minutes before his Chinese lesson.

“We made some good progress,” Adrien said, ignoring the timer counting down in his head. 

“Yeah, I think cleaning up the entire Seine was a bit ambitious for one afternoon, but this area looks nicer,” Marinette agreed with a yawn. 

She was always tired lately, and Adrien trailed his gloved fingers along the intricate stitching on his thigh. All of their costumes must have taken a lot of time, but she managed to make them all within a week. How often did Marinette stay up all night in the pursuit of helping someone else? 

“Can I ask you something?” Adrien said, and Marinette tilted her head to one side, licking ice cream from her tiny spoon. “About what you said the other day…How do you find time to help so many people?”

She contemplated it a while, tapping her lip with the spoon as they stared across the murky water. “I dunno. I just…do. People count on me, so I always try my best to help.”

“Doesn’t it get exhausting?” 

She pursed her lips and shrugged. “I guess sometimes, yeah, but I don’t mind. I’m happy to help, and I don’t want to let anyone down.”

“It’s not wrong to take time for yourself, ya know,” he said, turning to face her. “When does Marinette get to relax?”

“I guess I…” Her eyebrows knitted together. “I don’t know.”

Adrien opened his mouth to speak, but the buzz of her phone cut him off. 

“Oh! I promised Rose I’d help her with her scrapbooking project,” she said, standing up. “Um, great work today.”

“Yeah, sure,” Adrien said, biting his lip before standing and grabbing her wrist. “Marinette.” She turned to him, dark lashes fluttering against her mask. “You deserve some down time too, ya know. Don’t burn yourself out.”

She searched his expression for a moment then smiled. “Thanks, Adrien.”

Seeming unsure at first, she rocked back on her heels then stretched up to kiss his cheek. He touched the spot as she trotted off, chewing his lip thoughtfully. At first, he thought this partnership would give him more insight on Marinette, but so far, she was still an enigma. 

***

Adrien sat at his desk the next day, staring down at the lucky charm Marinette gave him. His fingers drummed on his thigh, his mind whirling. Something hadn’t sat right with him since this club started, and he couldn’t place his finger on what it was. Marinette had always been a puzzle to him that he couldn’t quite crack, and their last conversation replayed in his mind, perplexing him more and more each time. 

Marinette was an amazing friend, and he was starting to think that was the problem. It wasn’t that her looking out for others bothered him, quite the opposite. He admired that about her. Marinette always put her friends first no matter how much it inconvenienced her, and it made him wonder: If Marinette was always everyone else’s hero, then who was _her_ hero? The person who would always go to bat for her when she needed it. Who cheered her up on bad days and brought her cookies when she needed a pick-me-up? 

“Are you going to keep staring at that all day?” Plagg asked, floating overhead, and Adrien blinked out of his trance. 

“Plagg, who do you think Marinette turns to when she needs someone?” Adrien asked, and his kwami sank down onto the desk.

“That’s what you’ve been thinking about for the last 20 minutes?” He asked with a hint of exasperation. 

“Well, Marinette started this whole club just so her friends wouldn’t be sad about losing their superpowers, and she’s always doing stuff like that for everyone,” Adrien said, resting his chin on his fist. “She never asks for anything in return, and I have to wonder if she has anyone she trusts like that, and if she doesn’t, why can’t that someone be me?”

“Don’t tell me you’re falling for another girl. I thought this one was just a friend?” Plagg leaned his head back with a groan, and Adrien rubbed the space behind his ears with a chuckle.

“She is just a friend. A wonderful, amazing friend, and I want her to have someone to turn to when she needs help like she does for everyone else,” Adrien said. He trailed his fingers over the beads of his charm before standing up. “Come on. There’s someone I want to talk to.”

***

“Thanks for meeting me.”

Adrien smiled at Alya, gesturing to the empty seat across from him at the small round table. The café was tiny, and a bit secluded, but that’s why Adrien liked it. No one would ever expect to find him there, making it the perfect place for a private conversation. 

“No problem, what’s up?” Alya asked, accepting a scone as Adrien scooted a plate closer to her.

“I wanted to ask you something. It’s about Marinette,” he said, and this seemed to pique her interest.

“Yeah?”

“Well, you’re her best friend, so you probably know her better than anyone…” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, and Alya shrugged.

“We’re really tight, but sometimes I swear that girl leads a double life. She’s always rushing all over the place. Why do you ask?” 

“I’ve just been thinking. She and I have gotten to spend a lot of time together since we started this club, and she’s always looking for ways to help other people,” Adrien said, swirling his coffee with a stirrer. “I never realized how much she sacrifices for everyone else.”

“Marinette’s just like that. She’s a good person,” Alya said with a smile. “I mean, she looks out for everyone. Rose, Juleka, me, you-”

“Me?” Adrien tilted his head to the side. 

“Well, yeah, she’s done some stuff for you,” Alya said.

“Like what?”

“Uhh, ya know, just stuff.” Alya shifted in her seat under his inquisitive stare before sighing. “Okay, okay, but don’t tell her I told you because she’s really weird about telling people this stuff…So, you remember when you lost your dad’s book, and he pulled you out of school then the book just kind of showed up again?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, apparently Marinette went digging through trash cans to find it so that you could come back to school. She even made up some cover story to tell your dad so he wouldn’t be mad at you,” Alya said. “Oh, and I know this is probably gonna be a bummer, but that scarf you got for your birthday that you thought was from your dad? It was actually Marinette who made it for you.”

“Wait, I’ve worn that scarf around her like a dozen times. She never said anything.” Adrien shook his head. 

“I told her to tell you, but she didn’t want to ruin it for you because you seemed really happy to have gotten a gift from your dad.” Adrien sat back in his chair and pursed his lips.

“I never realized those things,” he murmured.

“She didn’t do any of it to win your praise. She did it because she cares about you,” Alya said, and Adrien bit his lip.

“I want to do something. Will you help me?” 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The art room bustled with chatter as kids of all ages splattered paint on canvases. A Saturday morning community art class was Marinette’s idea, and it was proving to be a huge hit. They’d even convinced their art teacher to let them use the art room at school. 

Adrien stifled a yawn as he patrolled an aisle, careful not to betray his true exhaustion to Marinette. He’d stayed up all night working on a surprise for her. Plagg made fun of him for putting in so much effort, but Marinette did so much more for everyone else all the time. If he was going to be Marinette’s personal hero, then he was going to give it his all without complaining. Besides, his grogginess was overshadowed by the giddiness fluttering in his stomach. 

The rest of the morning crawled by, and Adrien counted the minutes. It wasn’t that he was eager for their art class to be over—he just wanted to hurry up and get to his surprise. Marinette deserved to have someone who protected her the way she protected others, and he wanted to be that someone.

When the last kid finally left, they set to work cleaning. Marinette gathered all the paint brushes and rinsed them in the sink while Adrien put away the easels. Each tick of the clock echoed louder now that they were alone, and he only hoped she’d like what he had planned.

“Is everything else put away?” She asked when he approached.

“Yeah, it’s all good,” he said, heart hammering. 

“Awesome. I’m almost done with these then maybe we can go back to my house for some tea and cookies. If you want,” she offered.

“Uh, sure, but I think I left something in Mlle. Bustier’s classroom yesterday. Will you walk with me to go get it?” He asked as she shut off the sink and flicked water from her hands.

“Sure.”

Adrien suppressed a smirk as they walked, masking his excitement, albeit poorly. Marinette didn’t seem to notice which only made his blood pump faster. Was this how she felt all the time? It was exhilarating. 

“Surprise!” Their classmates cheered the moment Adrien opened the door.

“What-” Marinette blinked, flicking her gaze between their fellow clubmates. 

Streamers hung from wall-to-wall, colorful balloons tied around their desks, and a large banner spanned the chalkboard with the words ‘ _Rejected Heroes Club_ ’ written in his own neat cursive. Everyone worked hard to ensure everything was perfect because Marinette would have done the same. 

“Welcome to the first ever Rejected Heroes Club awards ceremony,” Alya said. 

“You guys did all of this?” Marinette gestured to all of the decorations and snacks. 

“Well, in honor of our new club, we wanted to give out a very special award to our founder,” Nino said, draping an arm over Alya’s shoulders.

“Seeing as you always stick your neck out for everyone, we thought it appropriate to bestow you with an award to celebrate your heroic deeds that inspire us all,” Max added. 

Kim leapt from behind a desk, striking a pose on top. “You’re totally everyone’s hero, so when Adrien suggested we throw you a party, we didn’t think twice.”

When Marinette turned to face him, Adrien retrieved the trophy from behind Mlle. Bustier’s desk. It was an old fencing trophy of his, but he’d had a new plaque installed. 

“For your selfless devotion to others, I present to you the _True Hero of Paris_ award,” he said. Her eyes watered as she traced her fingers over the inscription. 

“Guys,” she squeaked, and they all crowded around for a group hug.

“Thanks for always having our back, Marinette,” Alya said, nuzzling against her shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s too bad you’re not actually Ladybug because you’d be way awesome as a real hero,” Kim said, and Adrien’s cheeks warmed at the thought. 

Marinette as Ladybug. Now there was a thought to send his heart into overdrive. He wouldn’t have minded if it were Marinette; she was so easygoing and kind that it would have been as natural as breathing to fall in love with her. But it was too perfect to be true. If the girl under the mask were half as amazing as Marinette, Adrien would be satisfied. 

“I’m way too clumsy to be Ladybug,” Marinette said, waving it away, and the group agreed with a laugh.

“Alright, let’s get this party started!” Nino said, moving to his DJ table.

As their friends dispersed, Adrien hung back with Marinette. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He asked. She tilted her head to the side, but didn’t question as he led her into the hall.

“What’s up?”

“There’s something else I wanted to give you,” he said, retrieving a pink box tied with a blue ribbon from behind his back. 

“Adrien, you didn’t have to get me anything,” she said, but her gratitude reflected in those soft blue eyes.

“I wanted to. You’re an amazing friend and partner, and I want you to know how much I appreciate you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I made this myself, but it kind of came out wrong, so sorry about that.”

Marinette tugged the bow, lifting the lid of the box to reveal a pink, hand-knit scarf. Or rather, it was supposed to be a scarf. The stitching was littered with holes and loose thread, and the overall shape was uneven. Knitting was harder than it looked, and as it turned out, having a fashion mogul for a dad did not bestow him with any natural talent.

“Alya told me about the scarf you made for my birthday,” he said, and when her eyes widened, he added, “It’s okay. I understand why you didn’t tell me, and I’m really grateful to have a friend like you. This experience has made me realize how much you give to other people, and I just wanted to give something back to you for once.”

Marinette traced her thumb over a lop-sided hole and smiled. “Thank you, Adrien. I love it.”

Adrien’s cheeks warmed as she stepped into his arms and leaned against his chest. He nuzzled close, her soft hair tickling his cheek. 

“You’re our everyday Ladybug, Marinette, and I’ve realized that I want to be your everyday Chat Noir. If you ever need anything…you can always count on me,” he said when they pulled away. “Let me be your hero.”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed as pink as the accents on her suit, and when she stretched up to kiss his cheek, his skin burned under her lips. 

“I guess that makes us partners then,” she said, raising her fist. “So, what do you say, partner? Me and you against the world?”

For a moment Adrien saw another girl standing before him. Marinette really was a lot like Ladybug. They even kind of looked alike… 

He shook the thought from his mind and touched his fist to hers. There was no way. Marinette wasn’t Ladybug. He’d seen that firsthand. She was just a friend, a partner, and a wonderful person. A heroine in her own right, and he was her hero. 

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! I had a lot of fun writing for this zine, and you should all definitely support all of the creators who participated. Everyone worked super hard on it, and everyone's pieces turned out amazing. I hope you all enjoyed this little story. :)


End file.
